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AFL players owe a huge debt to women

Martin Flanagan

NO CHARGES have been laid and the two Collingwood players questioned by police deny any wrongdoing, but a shadow has been cast over the Magpies' premiership win. If charges are laid, it may turn out that the accused are found not guilty. Nonetheless, when the story broke on Monday morning, something was lost from the Collingwood celebrations.

That night on the television news, I saw a Collingwood woman aged about 70 asked her opinion. She had what I would call an old Collingwood face. She probably went to Victoria Park as a girl with her father to watch the Magpies play. She's probably raised a brood of Collingwood supporters who have since had children of their own, most of whom wear the black and white. She'd probably say the club is part of her family life and now this had happened.

"It's disappointing," she said. She wasn't being sentimental. She was, in the old Australian working class way, being understated. A woman friend of mine described her as looking "bruised".

The relationship between AFL players and the young women who surround them is more complex than public discussion of the issues admits. Ask women who work at AFL clubs. Nonetheless, if I could send a message to AFL players, it would be this: the next time you run out on to the ground to play in a big match, have a look around. Half the crowd are women. The next time you are knocked down unfairly or denied a free kick or take a brave mark, listen to the roar of support that comes your way and thrills you to your bones. Half the voices are women.

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Some years ago, a Dutchman writing a book on the great sporting events of the world interviewed me about the AFL grand final. In Europe, he said, the percentage of women at premier league soccer matches was 13 per cent. In the AFL, the figure was 48 per cent. He wanted to know why. Perhaps the reason is that our game started as free entertainment in the parks. No one could be excluded. Men and women stood side by side, as did people of different classes and religions.

Women are not an addendum to the game, they are part of the game. I actually believe they're a vital part but this may be a tribal view. Celtic women walked among their menfolk before battle, rallying them with their cries. I sat in front of Danny Green's wife at the weigh-in before he fought Anthony Mundine the first time. I heard her call to him several times - a brave, rousing, loving cry. I heard no fear in her voice; I'm sure he heard it, too. It's also worth noting that, right now, women's football is booming as never before.

Last year, when I was embedded with Melbourne Football Club, I was time and again impressed by its women supporters. I hazard to suggest women transmit excitement more openly than men and that excitement is a large part of the fun of the game. I know some spirited Collingwood women, such as writer Jeana Vithoulkas. In the early 1990s, when you still had to be brave to do such things, she took on a section of her own supporters for directing racist abuse at West Coast's Chris Lewis.

The problem when the issue of the relationship between AFL footballers and young women flares into public view is that it invariably descends into generalisations and stereotypes. As I said before, I am interested in the opinion of women who work at AFL clubs. Most are not free to express their views but one of their number, former Richmond media manager Jude Donnelly, is writing a book for Melbourne University Press.

Donnelly came to Richmond from her job as a media and policy adviser to the Howard government. She is an exuberant person with a handsome turn of phrase. I knew I liked her when I saw her step in and shoo away a commercial television crew who tried to film a young recruit's tattooed belly.

She was of the view that it could fix a certain image on the young man for the rest of his career. The young man's father thanked her, the players, coach and chief executive supported her. That's how you build a football club - through shared beliefs.

AFL players are taught to have regard for their teammates and their clubs. What they need to understand is that their clubs are not exclusively male. In the present case, there is the allegation of a crime which is not only against an individual woman but is an insult to women generally. And look at what that has done to Collingwood.

Martin Flanagan is a senior writer.

27 comments

Martin, you have been very careful in your writing but you still betray a presumption of guilt. Who is to say they don't understand the clubs aren't exclusively male? Who is to say they don't have good regard for women? You come to this generalized conclusion because of a single case of some allegations which may or may not be true.

I think what would be stupid is to not recognize that just like any other industry, all sorts of people make up the AFL, with varying degrees of sociability and morality. Just look at Jason Akermanis for proof of that. I'm sure there are many 'Brendan Fevola' journalists guilty of all sorts of disgusting and misogynistic behavior, I look forward to your article broadly tarring the entire media with the brush of the worst of the tabloids.

Commenter

Peter

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 9:50AM

It might not be a view that sits comfortably with popular modern thinking, but here goes ...

To talk about 'women' as a big entity is a mistake.

I would suspect that most footballers are loving and kind towards their mothers, sisters and female friends.

I would suspect that they are respectful and protective to their female work colleagues, board members, journalists and aquaintances they meet through work.

I would suspect they are kind, generous or polite to the the women fans they meet. Many of them will be moved by the women the meet at charity events, or feel fatherly to the young girls at footy clinics.

They would appreciate the support of the 1,000s of female volunteers who are the lifeblood of the game at grass roots level.

But disrespectful to a drunk girl trying to pick them up at 3am in city nightclubs known for their singles scene.

Here's the tough thought. Feminism has succeeded ... women are now seen as individuals not as a clump of things. That gives blokes the view the women they meet as they would the blokes ... on a case by case basis.

Don't like the above thought myself. But suggesting that there is a problem in regard to WOMEN could be overstating things. It might be particular women in particular circumstances.

Commenter

Kris

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 10:20AM

I concur with Peter. This piece is more dainty than your normal standard, Martin. You have sadly left the lofty band of the few independent thinkers we could rely upon and sullied yourself with 'ordinaryness'. It would have been far more interesting to hear your angle on the media's handling of the presumption of innocence. The way the media hangs, draws and quarters the accused in cases of murder, rape and drug-dealing while protecting the alleged victim should not fit well in an egalitarian society.Go Roos!

Commenter

Martin

Location

South Yarra

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 10:23AM

OMG there is a maingy old dog outside at the moment called mitchel and he's chasing Magpies!!! maybe that dog is a little jealous that the magpies have just completed mating season and are happily basking in there own glory. ha ha ha

Commenter

Dave

Location

MIDKES

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 10:38AM

The way the media hangs, draws and quarters the accused in cases of murder, rape and drug-dealing while protecting the alleged victim should not fit well in an egalitarian society.Go Roos!Martin | South Yarra - October 09, 2010, 11:23AM

The alleged victim has to remain anonymous or it will deter women from reporting genuince cases of rape/sexual assault

Commenter

Lady

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 10:56AM

Lady | Melbourne - October 09, 2010, 11:56AM

Agreed...

And it should also be a criminal offense to publicly name anyone accused of sexual assault unless a judge at trial deems the accused should be publicly named...

All parties in an alleged sexual assault should be anonymous...

Neil Mitchell is a tool, and merely a mouth for hire who rarely says anything unless he's paid to do so..How anyone could take anything he says seriously is totally beyond me...

Commenter

MrBungle

Location

Geelong

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 11:14AM

Kris - October 09, 2010, 11:20AM

I enjoyed reading your thoughtful post.

I agree it's hard to respect people who are not respecting themselves, and that's something that definitely needs attention.

However, I'd also point out that treating someone disrespectfully is not a relevant argument when it comes to criminal offences.

No amount of lack of self-respect makes a crime justifiable.

I would also add that I believe the vast majority of men wouldn't EVEN be disrespectful to someone who was in ANY state at 3am in the morning.

A crime is not disrespect, it's a crime.

Commenter

bornagirl

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 11:20AM

This case should not even be in the media yet. For that matter the aleged case against the St Kilda players should never have been known by the general public. Fev's recect 'flashing' should not have been known. All these cases have been alleged, and not untill charges are laid should this be public knowledge. Not only does this protect the complaine from unwanted media attention, the alleged are presumed innocent untill proven guilty. Unfotuently the media often have them as being guilty before charges are even laid.

Commenter

Nick

Location

Melb

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 11:25AM

This article is all wrong. Martin you have substituted the work of countless women that have supported and nurtured sport and club culture for the rampant execesses of a minority of predatory women that seek to destroy as many elite sporting reputation as their damaged self worth allows them.

Commenter

the spaniard

Location

perth

Date and time

October 09, 2010, 11:31AM

One way or another the base of the current problem lies squarely with the media. The situation at hand should not have made news headlines without or with names until the case was sorted. It is illogic to expect that the "situation" can be exposed without names. Men are just as prone to the Pandora syndrome as women are. It is absolutely unconscionable that names get mentioned, because then trial by media is unavoidable even under the cover of not taking sides. It is neither a men nor a women issue. It is a legal issue, and yes (I hope) it has tainted celebration for the magpies supporters, (I also hope) this damper would occur whatever club this happened to, Pies, Saints all of them. The bottom line is it is a LEGAL issue. The media is responsible for the entire kerfuffle that has ensued. ALL media should be gagged in issues of sexual assault. There would still be conjecture but not fuelled by journalistic opinions under the cover of not taking sides.